Factory Tour: How Occidental Leather Makes "The Best Tool Belts Money Can Buy"

Occidental LeatherOne of many Occidental products, the Adjust to Fit Pro Framer, consists of leather bags stitched and riveted to a belt made from a mix of leather and synthetic material.

David FraneThis is a view from the driveway. On the left is a newish warehouse building; on the right is the remaining part of the lumber mill--recognizable as a lumber storage shed--that Thurner turned into a factory.

David FraneIt's easy to forget leather is a natural material until you see how irregular it is when it arrives at the plant. Each piece is from a single hide.

David FraneFew Occidental products are entirely leather; most contain leather plus synthetics such as neoprene and this foam sandwiched between pieces of industrial nylon--which will be folded and sewn into a pouch.

David FraneThe leather used by Occidental is produced-to-order in domestic tanneries, and must meet strict specifications regarding color, thickness, water repellency, fat content, and temper or "hand." A chemical and mechanical process, tanning is far more complicated than most people think.

David FraneThese "suspender" straps were cut from slightly larger strips of leather using one of the die cutting presses in the background. Note the many dies that are stored on or near the machines in this room.

The press operator places a die over the piece of leather that is to be cut...

David Frane...and then activates the hydraulics, causing the head of the press to push the sharp edges of the die through the leather. A press of this kind can apply in the neighborhood of 50 tons of pressure.

David FraneThe operator peels the finished piece out of the die after the press punched it through. These suspender straps will pass through buckles—hence the many holes for adjusting their length.

David FraneA laundry cart full of tool bags waiting to be sewn and riveted to belts.

David FraneThis is the area where Thurner makes prototypes. The ancient machine in the foreground drives a "hammer" against an "anvil" and is used to crease folded material prior to stitching.

David FraneAn industrial sewing machine in the prototyping area. The best such machines are made in Europe--this one's from Germany.

David FraneIt takes a powerful motor to drive a needle through multiple layers of leather. The large motor on this machine has a clutch, which fills half the space in the housing.

David FraneA seamster—the gender neutral term for one who sews professionally—folds and stitches the main body of a pouch that will be attached to a tool belt. Behind her (on the wall) are samples of everything the company makes, which are there for reference.

David FraneThis seamster is stitching flat pieces of leather into tool holders. It's faster to stitch them one after another and leave them connected (like a string of sausages) and then later snip them apart.

David FraneThis machine operator feeds pre-cut leather through a $30,000 splitter to shave off any high spots, because variations in thickness (which are multiplied when leather is folded or layered) make it harder to do a good job stitching and riveting.

David FraneThe lighter area is where a tiny fraction of an inch was shaved off the back of this piece of leather.

David FraneThe bandsaw-like blade in the splitter has no teeth and is kept razor sharp by a built-in grinder. It's so sharp that they purposely dull it before removing it to make it safe enough to handle.

David FraneThurner fabricated these large embossing machines because he could not buy ones powerful enough for some of the company's embossing needs.

David FraneThese pieces will be folded and stitched into tool belt bags. The sides are foam sandwiched between layers of nylon; the top edges and bottom are clad in leather to prevent tools and fasteners from wearing through the material.

David FraneBags and tool holders with hammer loops staged and ready to attach to tool belts.

David FraneLeather tool holders stitched, riveted, and ready to install on tool belts. Note the holder screwed to the side of the bin; it's there as a reference to what goes inside.

David FraneBags are stitched inside-out; these workers are turning them right-side-out by working them over a metal fixture. I've seen a similar technique used at a shoe factory.

David FraneYep, that's lamb's wool fleece they are gluing to pieces of leather. But why?

David FraneThe back of this Buscadero model is covered in fleece to prevent chafing, a detail adapted from horseback riding by the saddle maker who produced the very first Occidental tool belts.

Occidental LeatherA carpenter bought these framing bags from Occidental 27 years ago and was so attached to them that he sent them in to be refurbished. I completely understand; if you wear a tool belt long enough it almost becomes part of you.

David FraneShot in the warehouse where products are stored before shipping, this is Thurner with the newFat Lip Tool Belt.

David FraneThe "fat lip" stiffens the edge of the pouch and holds it open for better access. It is created by wrapping a piece of rope in leather and then stitching it onto the edge. Note the leather tool holders and plastic chisel sheath inside.

David FraneThese Oxylight bags, made mostly from nylon, are in the warehouse and ready to ship.

David FraneYou've probably heard the phrase "belt and suspenders". Well here they are, belts and suspender straps ready for shipping.

David FraneTradepeople like to mix and match so Occidental sells many components ala carte. These and others can be combined into various rigs, including setups designed for left- and right-handers.

Occidental LeatherOccidental's suspension systems (think suspenders for tool belts) are extremely popular because they take a portion of the load off the wearer's back.

Occidental LeatherOccidental's primary focus is on carpentry, but they also make products for other trades—like this Electrician's pouch

Occidental LeatherOne of several belt-freemodels that put the weight of the tools onto the wearer's shoulders instead of his lower back.

David FraneOccidental puts its musk ox logo on everything: embossing it on leather, printing it on packaging, and building it in wood on this fence near the entry gate. I asked why a musk ox and was told it stands for strength and tenacity in the face of all odds, a fitting symbol for a company started by a carpenter who wanted a better tool belt and was unwilling to settle for what he could buy.

If Mercedes-Benz made tool belts, this is what they would be.

I recently toured the facility—a small factory, really—where Occidental Leather makes what most tradespeople believe are the best tool belts money can buy. That's what I thought the first time I saw a a set of their bags on the Jobsite 20+ years ago, and my opinion hasn't changed now that I have seen how they're made and heard the unlikely story of how the company came to be.

Occidental Leather's tool belt systems are designed and manufactured in Sonoma County, California, a rural area north of San Francisco. The company was founded by Darryl Thurner, a building contractor who wanted a better tool belt than he could buy off the shelf. After seeing a fellow carpenter's home-made tool belt, Thurner convinced a local saddle maker to produce something similar for him. Other carpenters saw it and wanted to buy ones like it, so he went into business, designing and selling belts and paying the saddle maker to make them.

The saddle maker eventually lost interest in tool bags and went back to making horse tack. Thurner, with time on his hands due to a slump in construction, decided to learn the trade of leatherworking. The rest, as they say, is history—if history means spending 35 years designing and producing high-quality tool belts, converting an old lumber mill into a leather factory, and building a nationally known company that provides jobs to 40+ people.

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